Latest developments on the crisis in Syria

President Obama said on Saturday that he was ready to take military action against Syrian President Bashar Assad, but that he will seek the approval of Congress before carrying out a military strike.
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A protester waves a Syrian flag with the photograph of Syrian President Bashar Assad during a rally against a possible attack on Syria in response to alleged use of chemical weapons by the Assad government on Sept. 1 in Hatay.(Photo: Bulent Kilic, AFP/Getty)

Story Highlights

– Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain left a Labor Day meeting at the White House saying they had greater confidence in President Obama's strategy on Syria. Both said that they would support Obama's resolution for military action, if the president can clarify his plan for bolstering the Syrian opposition forces.

– In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro, Syrian President Bashar Assad called the Middle East a "powder keg" and warned that Western military strikes on his country could spark a regional war. Assad also challenged the U.S. and France to present proof that his government was responsible for the Aug. 21 chemical attack in Damascus.

-- A French government report published Monday about Syria's chemical weapons program that found that at least 281 deaths could be attributed to the attack in areas outside Damascus. A French intelligence estimate alleges that the Syrian regime launched an attack Aug. 21 involving "massive use of chemical agents," AP reported.

– Members of Congress in both parties said they would not be able to support the current draft of a resolution authorizing Obama to launch a military strike.

– Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, called U.S. information on the alleged chemical attack in Syria that may have killed 1,429, including at least 426 children, "absolutl unconvincing." Lavrov said: "Yes, they showed us some findings but there was nothing specific there: no geographic coordinates, no names, no proof that the tests were carried out by the professionals."

– Secretary of State John Kerry said on news programs Sunday that the U.S. has received hair and blood samples that have "tested positive for signatures of sarin," a deadly nerve agent first developed in Germany in the 1930s.

– China said it is opposed to the U.S. acting alone in Syria and thinks any response must conform to the U.N. Charter and the basic principles underlying international relations.

– Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg ruled out another vote in Parliament over action in Syria. Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Clegg said he could not "foresee any circumstances" under which MPs could be asked to vote again after rejecting a motion for a military strike last week. Clegg's comments came after London Mayor Boris Johnson said a new vote could take place if new and "better" evidence emerged.

– Australia said it supports the U.S. taking action in Syria but didn't offer to provide military assistance.

– The United Nations said that around five million people inside Syria have now been displaced and two million have fled to neighboring countries as a result of the civil war.

– NATO's chief says he is convinced that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its people and insists a strong reaction is needed to show dictators around the world that such weapons cannot be used with impunity.